[Vol. 9] Chapter 106: Scheming for a Nation
Finally, the priestess was the first to speak.
“All alone, yet you managed to throw the entire capital of Preston into chaos. Even the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, which usually avoids foreign affairs, stepped in to protect you. Your influence really is something remarkable~”
Hearing the black-haired girl’s soft laugh, the mysterious young girl who had entered the room stayed silent for a moment before shaking her head.
“No… you’re the one who truly has incredible power. To be honest, I’ve never seen, nor could I ever imagine, Uncle Yu losing his composure like that. And even more unthinkable, he revealed secrets to an outsider he just met. He clearly understands the risk and meaning behind that… Your position in his heart might be even higher than my aunt’s.”
Her voice was beautiful, like the chirping of a spring bird, clear and full of youthful energy. Yet, the calm, almost world-weary tone with which she spoke added a faint sense of sorrow to that beauty.
Menna too had seemed mature at a young age, but her maturity came from seeing too many possible futures through Revelation, giving her a steadier heart than her years would suggest. This girl, however, was different.
Her composure came not from knowledge, but from hardship. It was the kind of coldness shaped by great tragedy, like the eternal ice of the far north that never melts, keeping all warmth at a distance.
“So, you came all the way here in the middle of the night just to say that?”
“…You should already know why I came. Uncle Yu said he told you everything.”
Hearing that, a playful smile appeared on Violet’s lips.
“Of course I know. But~ I just wanted to hear you say it yourself.”
“……”
To her credit, the girl truly had the poise of someone born to lead. Even though she clearly realized that Violet was teasing her on purpose, she didn’t show the slightest irritation or anger. She simply nodded, raised her hand, and swiftly removed the black cloth covering her face.
The face beneath was different from the one Violet had seen earlier that day at the merchant hall, but those bright, determined eyes full of spirit were unmistakably the same.
A faint, inch-long scar could be seen just above her right eye, half-hidden beneath her bangs. A small imperfection that, like the rough edge in her voice, gave her delicate features a trace of toughness and grit.
Perhaps that was why she disguised herself when moving around outside.
The girl then lifted the hem of an imaginary skirt and performed a graceful northern courtly bow, smooth, practiced, and full of elegance, as if it had long become second nature to her.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Gray Hynes, Third Princess of the Preston Kingdom, the last remaining direct heir to the royal bloodline, and also… the leader of the people’s resistance group, The Frostbreaker Sword.”
The priestess quietly accepted the greeting, but gave no reply. Only her silver-blue eyes shimmered faintly with an unreadable light.
Ming Yu had already told her this girl’s identity earlier that afternoon, along with the current situation in Preston, and even the state of the entire northern region.
The reason why the Preston Kingdom has been able to stand firm as the second largest nation in the North for hundreds of years is mainly because it is supported by the much stronger Snow Empire.
The Snow Empire has always supported Preston because the royal families of both nations have intermarried for centuries. Their bloodlines have become so mixed that they can no longer be separated.
The current royal family of Preston is basically a distant branch of the Snow Empire’s imperial bloodline. Many of its members even use Sinong, an ancient family name from the Snow Empire.
Although the two are technically separate countries, in essence Preston is more like a large semi-autonomous province under the Snow Empire.
And it’s not just Preston, most northern countries today have, to some degree, intermarried with the Snow Empire’s royal family. Their royal bloodlines all contain traces of Snow Empire heritage.
This is a form of silent annexation. The Snow Empire holds a supreme position in the North now, but centuries ago, it didn’t have such terrifying power or influence. Back then, the dozen or so surrounding nations appeared to obey the empire on the surface, but in truth, each harbored its own ambitions.
To deal with that, the Snow Empire began to expand its national religion, the Eternal Winter Temple, spreading its faith throughout the northern lands. At the same time, it also promoted political marriages with other royal families.
Through both persuasion and pressure, they slowly assimilated the surrounding countries. All without shedding a drop of blood.
Among all those nations, Preston was the most affected.
As the second largest northern country and the closest neighbor to the Snow Empire, it became the perfect first target. If the empire ever succeeded in fully absorbing Preston, then the unification of the entire North would be unstoppable.
To achieve this goal, the Snow Empire deliberately encouraged Preston’s royal family to adopt luxurious and corrupt habits, spreading a culture of greed and indulgence.
They used wealth and profit to corrupt the ruling class, turning the government more cruel and unjust, which in turn caused growing anger and division among the people.
This process took a long time. But eventually, the royal family and nobles of Preston would lose all public support.
When that time came, with both nations already so closely connected, the Snow Empire would only need to stir up the people’s emotions a little, and the tide of public opinion would push Preston toward complete unification with the Empire.
But that day would also mark the end of the Preston Kingdom and the fall of the Hynes royal family.
Princess Grey’s father, the former king, was a wise and capable ruler.
He saw through the Snow Empire’s manipulative plans and after taking the throne deliberately distanced himself from them. He tried to push for reforms to fight corruption and revive the country.
However, such bold actions harmed the interests of the long-rooted old nobles and they also angered the Snow Empire.
So, with internal traitors and external forces working together, a conspiracy took place. The former king died suddenly from a so-called “illness,” and a relative who was loyal to the Snow Empire quickly took the throne.
What happened next was predictable, to cover up the truth and erase the influence of the old king, his children were “accidentally” killed one by one.
Only Princess Grey, the sole surviving heir, escaped death thanks to a chance encounter with Ming Yu during his travels. He saved her life, and she has been in hiding ever since.
Now, the royal family of Preston has completely turned to the Snow Empire. They live in luxury and exploit their people.
That’s why Grey decided to carry on her father’s will. With Ming Yu’s help and support from others who share her ideals, she began working in secret and eventually formed the rebel group known as “The Frostbreaker Sword”, to fight for her country’s future.
It’s very likely that the large-scale search by the Ice Wolf Guards during the day was because they got some information about her existence, and were trying to find the last surviving heir of the former king.
But they never expected that the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild would also get involved, and that, with such clever methods, they would hide the leader of the resistance right under the noses of Preston’s most powerful people.